Recently, many friends around me have become expectant mothers. The birth of a new life in the family is such a joyful event. They are both excited and nervous - excited about welcoming a new life and nervous about being first-time mothers. There are many things that expectant mothers need to pay attention to during pregnancy, and one of the most important is certainly diet. What foods should pregnant women avoid during pregnancy and what foods are beneficial for both the baby and the mother? Today, I will share with you expectant mothers, expectant fathers, and those who are about to become expectant parents, what dietary considerations you should keep in mind during pregnancy.
【Vegetables to Avoid During Pregnancy】
1. Spinach: Although spinach contains abundant iron, which is beneficial for pregnant women to supplement iron and prevent iron-deficiency anemia, it also contains a large amount of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid has a strong destructive effect on zinc, calcium, and other trace elements, which can lead to zinc and calcium deficiency in pregnant women. Zinc and calcium are essential elements for pregnant women, and if pregnant women are deficient in zinc and calcium, it may have an impact on the growth and development of the fetus. Therefore, it is best for pregnant women not to eat spinach.
2. Black fungus: Black fungus is rich in iron, which can prevent iron-deficiency anemia. However, black fungus also has the function of promoting blood circulation and removing stasis, which is not conducive to the stability and growth of the embryo. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid eating black fungus, especially in the early stages of pregnancy and for those who have habitual miscarriages.
3. Arrowroot: Pregnant women should try to eat less or avoid arrowroot during pregnancy because arrowroot has the function of promoting blood circulation and inducing abortion, which may have adverse effects on the diet of pregnant women, especially for those who have just become pregnant or have habitual miscarriages.
4. Portulaca oleracea: Portulaca oleracea is a medicinal and edible food. It has a cold and slippery nature and can stimulate the uterus and cause uterine contractions, which can easily result in miscarriage. Therefore, pregnant women must not eat portulaca oleracea during pregnancy.
5. Pickled pickles: Pickled pickles, pickled cabbage, and other pickled foods are also not suitable for consumption during pregnancy. Because pickled foods often contain a large amount of ammonium nitrate, it can easily cause fetal malformation.
6. Stored potatoes: High levels of alkaloids in stored potatoes can affect the development of the baby if consumed in large quantities.
【Fruits to Avoid During Pregnancy】
1. Hawthorn: In the early stages of pregnancy, many pregnant women like to consume hawthorn to relieve nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Although hawthorn has a certain stomach-strengthening effect, it also has an exciting effect on the uterus, which can stimulate uterine contractions and lead to miscarriage, especially for pregnant women with a history of natural miscarriages or signs of miscarriage.
2. Longan: Longan is rich in nutrients and has the effects of nourishing the heart and calming the nerves, nourishing blood, and invigorating the spleen. However, it is warm in nature and can easily lead to excessive internal heat in pregnant women. If warm-tonifying foods are consumed, it will not only fail to maintain the pregnancy but may also cause symptoms such as spotting, abdominal pain, and even miscarriage, especially for pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy.
3. Apricot and almond: Apricot is hot in nature and has the characteristic of inducing abortion. Almonds contain toxic substances, and the consumption of 7 to 10 almonds by a child can be fatal. Therefore, pregnant women should not eat apricot and almond.
4. Cold drinks and soda: After pregnancy, the gastrointestinal function of women is weakened, and eating too many cold foods can cause sudden contraction of the gastrointestinal blood vessels, weakened digestion, and symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Soda can deplete the iron in expectant mothers, leading to anemia and affecting the baby's development.
5. Watermelon
In the summer, watermelon becomes one of the favorite foods to cool down and many expectant mothers crave it. Watermelon is one of the fruits with the highest water content, not only quenching thirst but also being nutritious, and it also has high medicinal value.
Can pregnant women eat watermelon? Watermelon has a water content of more than 94% and is also rich in glucose, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, etc., which have high nutritional value.
It also contains abundant nutrients such as water, fructose, potassium salts, malic acid, amino acids, and carotene, which have the effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, quenching thirst, promoting urination, and treating diseases such as summer heat injury, headache and chest tightness, thirst and dry throat, short and red urine, and sore throat, mouth ulcers, and coughing blood.
Although watermelon has many advantages, it is not suitable for everyone to eat, and it should not be eaten without restrictions. Watermelon contains a lot of sugar, and if you eat too much watermelon, you will consume an excessive amount of sugar.
6. Mango
Can pregnant women eat mangoes? To answer this question, we first need to understand the ingredients and effects of mangoes. Mango flesh is juicy and can quench thirst, and mangoes also have the effect of stopping vomiting, which can alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness and seasickness. It can also improve the morning sickness symptoms of pregnant women in early pregnancy.
Mango is also rich in dietary fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and help with bowel movements, so mangoes have a certain preventive and therapeutic effect on constipation during pregnancy. Therefore, pregnant women can eat mangoes.
【Seafood to Avoid During Pregnancy】
1. Crab: Although crabs have a delicious taste, they have a cold nature and have the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Therefore, they are not good for pregnant women, especially crab claws, which have a clear abortion effect. Therefore, crabs should not be consumed during pregnancy.
2. Softshell turtle: Although softshell turtle has the effect of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidney, it is cold in nature and has a salty taste, which has a strong effect of clearing blood vessels and dispersing blood stasis. It may also cause abortion, especially the abortion effect of softshell turtle shell is stronger than that of softshell turtle meat.
3. Shark, manta ray, swordfish, hammerhead shark, and tuna
Some harmful substances in the body of fish can accumulate to levels that affect human health. The amount of harmful substances absorbed by the fish depends on many factors, including the species and age of the fish, as well as the pollution of the water. Generally, sharks, manta rays, swordfish, and hammerhead sharks have high mercury content. Therefore, it is best for pregnant women not to eat these fish. The mercury content in tuna is also quite high, so you should also limit your intake of tuna, and you should not consume more than 170 grams (about 3 and a half liang) of light tuna per week; the mercury content in albacore tuna (also known as white tuna) and tuna steak is three times that of light tuna, so for safety reasons, pregnant women should not eat these fish.
【Supplements to Avoid During Pregnancy】
1. Ginseng: Ginseng is a highly tonifying supplement. According to traditional Chinese medicine, after pregnancy, the mother's body is in a state of yin deficiency and yang excess. Improper use of ginseng can easily lead to yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity. Ginseng also has a diuretic effect, and excessive intake can cause edema, worsen pregnancy vomiting and high blood pressure, and can also promote vaginal bleeding and cause miscarriage.
2. Coix seed: Although coix seed has a good effect of invigorating the spleen and eliminating dampness, it is not suitable for pregnant women because coix seed has an exciting effect on the uterine smooth muscle, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, and eating coix seed can easily lead to miscarriage.
3. Astragalus root: Astragalus root has the effect of invigorating the middle and replenishing qi, can help strengthen muscles and bones, and promote flesh growth and blood replenishment. However, it can also cause rapid growth of fetal bones and muscles. Eating astragalus root during late pregnancy can easily lead to dystocia, and astragalus root also has a diuretic effect. Through diuresis, it can relatively reduce amniotic fluid and prolong labor.
4. Warm and tonic supplements: Warm and tonic supplements such as deer antler, deer fetus, deer horn glue, and walnut meat can easily generate internal heat and consume yin fluid. Pregnant women should not take them, and if they need to be taken, they should be taken correctly under the guidance of a doctor and not taken at will.
【Nutrients Needed During Pregnancy】
1. Protein
Protein is the main component of human cells, and amino acids in proteins are also important for the development of fetal brain cells. A lack of protein in pregnant women can affect pituitary gonadotropins, leading to a decrease in estrogen and progesterone, and may even cause pregnancy interruption. Generally, adults need 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, while fetuses need 3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. In the late stages of pregnancy, a certain amount of protein needs to be stored to meet the needs of delivery and lactation. Foods rich in protein include meat, fish, eggs, and legumes. Among them, eggs and dairy products are the most easily digested and absorbed proteins for humans.
2. Fat
Fat can provide energy and is an important component of cells. Pregnant women should supplement 20-30 grams of fat in their diet every day, but it is best not to exceed 50 grams, so as not to increase the burden on the liver or cause obesity. Foods rich in fat include fatty meat, milk, nuts, and cooking oil.
3. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main source of human body heat and are very important for the health of pregnant women and the development of the fetus. Carbohydrates are widely present in foods such as flour, rice, soybeans, and fruits. Ensuring 450-500 grams of staple food every day can provide an adequate amount of carbohydrates.
4. Minerals
① Calcium: Calcium is an important component of bones and teeth, can enhance blood clotting in the mother's body, stabilize nerves, and prevent fatigue. The daily calcium intake during pregnancy should be twice as much as usual. If the mother is deficient in calcium, the health of the fetus will be affected first. If the calcium deficiency lasts for a long time, the fetus may have poor bone calcification and weight loss. Therefore, pregnant women should eat foods rich in calcium, such as milk, pork ribs, and shrimp skins before pregnancy.
② Iron: Iron is the raw material for hematopoiesis. The fetus obtains iron from the mother's plasma through the active transportation of the placenta. If the iron supplementation is insufficient, it can cause physiological anemia in the mother, and in severe cases, it can cause anemia in the newborn. If the mother is deficient in iron, complications such as low-grade fever or bleeding may occur during delivery, and the postpartum physical recovery will be slow. The fetus is susceptible to infection, has poor resistance, and has delayed growth and development. Therefore, pregnant women must ensure sufficient intake of iron before pregnancy, and foods rich in iron include milk, pork, chicken, eggs, soybeans, and seaweed.
③ Zinc: Almost all important enzyme systems in the human body cannot function properly without zinc. The amount of zinc absorbed from the diet affects cell differentiation and thus affects growth and development.
5. Vitamins
① Vitamin A: A deficiency of vitamin A in the mother can cause fetal malformations. Vitamin A maintains normal visual function, promotes human growth and development, protects the integrity of the immune system, and maintains normal bone metabolism, preventing iron-deficiency anemia.
② B vitamins: Including vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. A deficiency of vitamin B2 can cause oral ulcers, keratitis, and skin diseases. Pregnant women who lack vitamin B2 can cause pregnancy-induced hypertension and fetal growth retardation. Vitamin B6 is closely related to the metabolism of proteins and fats. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the synthesis of genetic materials and is particularly important for the development and maturation of cells, especially brain cells.
③ Vitamin C: Vitamin C promotes the absorption of iron by the body, enhances the phagocytic function of white blood cells, enhances immunity, maintains the body's anti-allergic ability, maintains the balance of hormone secretion, promotes normal cell metabolism, enhances blood clotting, and increases resistance.
④ Vitamin D: Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium and its deposition in bones, and also has the function of immune regulation, which can change the body's response to infections. Vitamin D is found in animal liver, fish liver oil, and eggs, and can also be synthesized by the skin through exposure to sunlight.
